Physical Properties and Gas Hydrate at a Near-Seafloor Thrust Fault, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand

Ann E. Cook; Matteo Paganoni; Michael Benedict Clennell; David D. McNamara; Michael Nole; Xiujuan Wang; Shuoshuo Han; Rebecca E. Bell; Evan A. Solomon; Demian M. Saffer; Philip M. Barnes; Ingo A. Pecher; Laura M. Wallace; Leah J. LeVay; Katerina E. Petronotis

doi:10.1029/2020GL088474

Physical Properties and Gas Hydrate at a Near-Seafloor Thrust Fault, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand

Ann E. Cook, Matteo Paganoni, Michael Benedict Clennell, David D. McNamara, Michael Nole, Xiujuan Wang, Shuoshuo Han, Rebecca E. Bell, Evan A. Solomon, Demian M. Saffer, Philip M. Barnes, Ingo A. Pecher, Laura M. Wallace, Leah J. LeVay, Katerina E. Petronotis

Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Pāpaku Fault Zone, drilled at International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1518, is an active splay fault in the frontal accretionary wedge of the Hikurangi Margin. In logging-while-drilling data, the 33-m-thick fault zone exhibits mixed modes of deformation associated with a trend of downward decreasing density, P-wave velocity, and resistivity. Methane hydrate is observed from ~30 to 585 m below seafloor (mbsf), including within and surrounding the fault zone. Hydrate accumulations are vertically discontinuous and occur throughout the entire logged section at low to moderate saturation in silty and sandy centimeter-thick layers. We argue that the hydrate distribution implies that the methane is not sourced from fluid flow along the fault but instead by local diffusion. This, combined with geophysical observations and geochemical measurements from Site U1518, suggests that the fault is not a focused migration pathway for deeply sourced fluids and that the near-seafloor Pāpaku Fault Zone has little to no active fluid flow.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e2020GL088474
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	47
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088474
State	Published - Aug 28 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1029/2020GL088474

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Cook, A. E., Paganoni, M., Clennell, M. B., McNamara, D. D., Nole, M., Wang, X., Han, S., Bell, R. E., Solomon, E. A., Saffer, D. M., Barnes, P. M., Pecher, I. A., Wallace, L. M., LeVay, L. J., & Petronotis, K. E. (2020). Physical Properties and Gas Hydrate at a Near-Seafloor Thrust Fault, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand. Geophysical Research Letters, 47(16), Article e2020GL088474. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088474

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title = "Physical Properties and Gas Hydrate at a Near-Seafloor Thrust Fault, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand",

abstract = "The Pāpaku Fault Zone, drilled at International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1518, is an active splay fault in the frontal accretionary wedge of the Hikurangi Margin. In logging-while-drilling data, the 33-m-thick fault zone exhibits mixed modes of deformation associated with a trend of downward decreasing density, P-wave velocity, and resistivity. Methane hydrate is observed from ~30 to 585 m below seafloor (mbsf), including within and surrounding the fault zone. Hydrate accumulations are vertically discontinuous and occur throughout the entire logged section at low to moderate saturation in silty and sandy centimeter-thick layers. We argue that the hydrate distribution implies that the methane is not sourced from fluid flow along the fault but instead by local diffusion. This, combined with geophysical observations and geochemical measurements from Site U1518, suggests that the fault is not a focused migration pathway for deeply sourced fluids and that the near-seafloor Pāpaku Fault Zone has little to no active fluid flow.",

author = "Cook, {Ann E.} and Matteo Paganoni and Clennell, {Michael Benedict} and McNamara, {David D.} and Michael Nole and Xiujuan Wang and Shuoshuo Han and Bell, {Rebecca E.} and Solomon, {Evan A.} and Saffer, {Demian M.} and Barnes, {Philip M.} and Pecher, {Ingo A.} and Wallace, {Laura M.} and LeVay, {Leah J.} and Petronotis, {Katerina E.}",

year = "2020",

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doi = "10.1029/2020GL088474",

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Cook, AE, Paganoni, M, Clennell, MB, McNamara, DD, Nole, M, Wang, X, Han, S, Bell, RE, Solomon, EA, Saffer, DM, Barnes, PM, Pecher, IA, Wallace, LM, LeVay, LJ & Petronotis, KE 2020, 'Physical Properties and Gas Hydrate at a Near-Seafloor Thrust Fault, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 47, no. 16, e2020GL088474. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088474

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T1 - Physical Properties and Gas Hydrate at a Near-Seafloor Thrust Fault, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand

AU - Cook, Ann E.

AU - Paganoni, Matteo

AU - Clennell, Michael Benedict

AU - McNamara, David D.

AU - Nole, Michael

AU - Wang, Xiujuan

AU - Han, Shuoshuo

AU - Bell, Rebecca E.

AU - Solomon, Evan A.

AU - Saffer, Demian M.

AU - Barnes, Philip M.

AU - Pecher, Ingo A.

AU - Wallace, Laura M.

AU - LeVay, Leah J.

AU - Petronotis, Katerina E.

PY - 2020/8/28

Y1 - 2020/8/28

N2 - The Pāpaku Fault Zone, drilled at International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1518, is an active splay fault in the frontal accretionary wedge of the Hikurangi Margin. In logging-while-drilling data, the 33-m-thick fault zone exhibits mixed modes of deformation associated with a trend of downward decreasing density, P-wave velocity, and resistivity. Methane hydrate is observed from ~30 to 585 m below seafloor (mbsf), including within and surrounding the fault zone. Hydrate accumulations are vertically discontinuous and occur throughout the entire logged section at low to moderate saturation in silty and sandy centimeter-thick layers. We argue that the hydrate distribution implies that the methane is not sourced from fluid flow along the fault but instead by local diffusion. This, combined with geophysical observations and geochemical measurements from Site U1518, suggests that the fault is not a focused migration pathway for deeply sourced fluids and that the near-seafloor Pāpaku Fault Zone has little to no active fluid flow.

AB - The Pāpaku Fault Zone, drilled at International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1518, is an active splay fault in the frontal accretionary wedge of the Hikurangi Margin. In logging-while-drilling data, the 33-m-thick fault zone exhibits mixed modes of deformation associated with a trend of downward decreasing density, P-wave velocity, and resistivity. Methane hydrate is observed from ~30 to 585 m below seafloor (mbsf), including within and surrounding the fault zone. Hydrate accumulations are vertically discontinuous and occur throughout the entire logged section at low to moderate saturation in silty and sandy centimeter-thick layers. We argue that the hydrate distribution implies that the methane is not sourced from fluid flow along the fault but instead by local diffusion. This, combined with geophysical observations and geochemical measurements from Site U1518, suggests that the fault is not a focused migration pathway for deeply sourced fluids and that the near-seafloor Pāpaku Fault Zone has little to no active fluid flow.

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Physical Properties and Gas Hydrate at a Near-Seafloor Thrust Fault, Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand

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